Well Secret Squirrel, you are absolutely correct. It most certainly takes MUCH more effort and expertise to accept the uplinked flight plan into the FMS and engage the autopilot at 400' than it does to figure out why the A/C won't accept the uplink or why the FMS doesn't make the autopilot follow the flight plan. Before things get out of hand here, let me say that I have come across many pilots that respected what we do, but unfortunately the vast majority of these "part-timers" are egotistical narcissistic windbags. Might I remind you that you put your pants on the same way everyone else does - one leg at a time. Pilots are no more or less important to operating an airline than the engineers.